LinkedIn is now allowing businesses to promote content from any user on the app, not just their own employees, expanding its Thought Leader ads into a form of branded content promotion.

Previously, brands could use Thought Leader ads to turn posts from verified employees into promotions. Now, businesses have the option to promote posts from non-employees too.

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Why we care. LinkedIn is a key B2B marketing channel. Sharing insights and experiences from people not on your payroll can help enhance your brand’s reputation, credibility and trustworthiness, potentially leading to more conversions. Also, these can be used to open up or enhance a connection with clients, influencers and prospects.

How it works. A brand can set up a Thought Leader Ad by following these steps:

• Log into Campaign Manager.
• Once logged in, search for a person (by name) who is a 1st or 2nd-degree connection, or input the URL of the content you want to sponsor.
• The search results will display a list of posts from that member that the brand can sponsor.
• To prevent misuse or unauthorized promotion, when a company selects a post to sponsor, the creator will receive a notification asking them to approve or deny the request.

Availability. Thought Leader Ads for non-employee members will be available globally by the end of March.

What LinkedIn is saying. According to the company, nearly 73% of decision-makers say that an organization’s thought-leadership content is a more trustworthy basis for assessing its capabilities and competencies than its marketing materials and product sheets.”

“In speaking with customers, we know that many of their buying decisions are based upon what they learn from others, especially what they discover from trusted voices – whether that’s an employee, industry experts, or current customers – who authentically share their perspectives on trends and brand insights,” Taina Palombo-Price, senior director, LinkedIn, said in a statement. “By expanding Thought Leader Ads, brands can now promote member posts that align with their purpose and collaborate with trusted expert voices to reach new audiences and drive greater brand visibility.”

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